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Queen City Dolphins motivates African-American swimmers

CHARLOTTE, NC (FOX 46 WJZY) - Thirteen years ago, a minority based swim team was just a dream for Marcus Green and Rodney Sellers. Now it’s a reality.

“I swam in college, and I was the only black on my team," said Sellers, co-founder of the Queen City Dolphins. “We seek kids that want to get into the sport but didn’t feel at home because nobody looked like them. That was the basis of why we started this."

Since its inception in 2005, the Queen City Dolphins have grown from 12 swimmers to more than 40.

They are in the pool six days a week year round at the Mecklenburg Aquatic Center in uptown.

“It’s amazing, I just love being around people that look like me, and that are ready to cheer me on and hype me up,” said swimmer Gabby Rose. “We all come together like a big family.

The coaches do more than just teach the kids how to swim.

“What it did for us is show people you don’t have to be the typical type of African-American,” said Green. “You can actually have other outlets in order to get free education.”

Sellers said over the years they’ve sent about a half dozen to college on swimming scholarships and they expect more going forward.